As soon as Qin Yanlan stepped out of the sedan chair, she couldn’t help but grab her mother’s arm and whisper, “Mother, are the people around us laughing at us?”
Mother Qin straightened her stout waist and said, feigning courage, “What’s there to be afraid of! Your big brother is serving the Emperor in the palace now! How are we any worse than anyone else!”
Despite her words, Mother Qin’s face also betrayed her inner cowardice. Gazing at the elegant little building of Linglong Pavilion, she didn’t even know how to take a step. With their maids and old servants stifling their laughter, they were led into the building, mother and daughter stumbling as if their feet were tangled.
Linglong Pavilion had recently become famous for its new Scented soap, and its clientele was exclusively the rich and noble.
Who among the long-time residents of Daliang City wasn’t from a noble family? Even the maids and old servants were more refined and graceful in their conduct than young ladies from outside the capital.
The moment they laid eyes on this peculiar mother-daughter pair, they couldn’t help but cover their mouths and turn their heads to snicker.
Qin Yanlan was, after all, an unmarried young woman. She immediately flushed red with shame, deeply regretting not bringing a veiled hat to at least cover her face.
“Mother! Why don’t we just leave!”
Mother Qin was also losing her nerve and was about to agree when a soft yet cheerful voice spoke first, “Mesdames, what would you like to buy? Allow me to show you around~”
The mother and daughter looked up in unison to see a woman with jade-like skin, snowy cheeks, and eyes full of laughter descending the stairs like a wisp of smoke or a willow branch.
She wore a light, water-red gauze dress, revealing a small patch of snow-white skin on her chest. A hint of her flesh could be seen beneath a tender-green outer vest, which, combined with her slightly plump, rounded arms, exuded an indescribable charm.
The Great Qi had always esteemed demure elegance and slender fragility as the standard of beauty. Yet, her colorful attire and slightly full cheeks didn’t diminish her beauty in the slightest. Instead, they revealed a different kind of mesmerizing allure.
The Qin mother and daughter were long-time residents of Jinzhou, a place far less prosperous than Daliang City, with much stricter customs. Even the young ladies of prominent families there were never seen in such colorful, ethereal silks and gauzes.
At first glance, it seemed improper. But upon a second look, it was truly dazzlingly beautiful.
Could it be that this was the capital, a land of wealth and nobility, where everyone raised was as beautiful as a flower?
She had guessed wrong. Such clothes had not existed even in the Daliang City of the past. Xi Hongrui had learned the style from the transmigrated female lead.
In her previous life, she had fallen in love with it at first sight and immediately copied it, baring her snow-white neck and chest as she paraded around the courtyard.
She thought she looked beautiful, but she didn’t know that the entire comment section at the time was laughing at her for looking like a courtesan, with the air of a concubine.
The female lead had only worn it privately once in front of the male lead for a bit of fun. The ancient rites were strict; who would wear such an immodest outfit as daily attire and show it off?
Xi Hongrui fanned herself and gritted her teeth. She was determined to wear it as daily attire!
Linglong Pavilion’s biggest gimmick was the Scented soap, but it also sold cosmetics, hairpins, clothing, and silks.
She first chose a bolt of light gauze and had the tailor make all her clothes in this style, wearing a different one each day.
At first, the noble ladies who visited also felt that such an exposed neckline was truly indecent, but they couldn’t deny that Xi Hongrui looked absolutely stunning in it!
It was also the height of summer, and the heat was unbearable. How could they not love such a cool and refreshing ruqun dress?
Thus, this style was soon sold out with backorders.
The book mentioned that the female lead had also invented it by imitating the ancients from her world, so Xi Hongrui wasn’t afraid of the female lead discovering any anomaly and wore it even more ostentatiously.
But speaking of which, why did she feel that her world was even more suffocating than the ancient times in the female lead’s world?
At the very least, the ancient women in the female lead’s world could openly wear clothes with exposed necklines in the summer. Here, however, she was ridiculed by everyone for having the air of a courtesan.
So what if she had the air of a courtesan? Being beautiful was all that mattered!
Xi Hongrui’s graceful figure stunned the Qin mother and daughter on the spot.
They had originally come for the renowned Scented soap, but the moment they saw Xi Hongrui, they couldn’t help but change their tune. “This outfit of yours, is it for sale too?”
A wide smile on her face, Xi Hongrui went up to support Mother Qin’s arm and pull her upstairs. “Of course. Linglong Pavilion sells everything. Madam, would you like to go up and have a look?~”
Ever since arriving in Daliang City, Mother Qin had been met with mocking gazes, as if she were a country bumpkin. She had never been treated with such a gentle and peaceful attitude. She couldn’t help but relax and nod cheerfully.
Xi Hongrui then led her to the elegant clothing workshop upstairs, introducing various styles and fabrics.
The Qin mother and daughter looked for a long time, but their gazes kept falling back on Xi Hongrui.
However, looking at her partially concealed arms and exposed neckline, they still blushed profusely and stammered, “The one you’re wearing… isn’t it a bit too revealing…”
There were other noble ladies and madams upstairs who, upon hearing this, shared the same concern and discreetly looked over.
Xi Hongrui immediately covered her mouth with her fan and let out a crisp laugh. Revealing only her slightly upturned eyes, she looked at the crowd teasingly, her gaze ambiguous. “Mesdames, in the depths of your private chambers, who is to know what private clothes you wear? Isn’t it all about what makes you comfortable? To outsiders, it may seem improper, but what outsider can spy into the inner residence? If they did, they would be the ones lacking decorum~”
The group of ladies and madams instantly covered their lips and giggled along, their hearts slightly at ease. After selecting some regular styles, they all invariably began to pick out some “private” clothes as well.
The Qin mother and daughter hadn’t seen much of the world and didn’t understand anything, so Xi Hongrui stayed by their side, enthusiastically introducing all sorts of things.
After putting together a whole set of clothes, jewelry, rouge, and Scented soap, the bill was calculated. Good heavens, it came to a full twenty guan! They hadn’t brought that much money with them at all!
Such a large sum was already painful to think about, but if they backed out now, they feared being ridiculed by the other noble ladies coming and going in the pavilion.
Xi Hongrui smiled behind her fan, glanced at the sky outside the window, and said nonchalantly, “Madam, please don’t worry. Since you’ve bought so many things, it is only right for us to deliver them to your door. You can pay then. Besides, you are such a major customer. Why not get a VIP card? It will give you a thirty percent discount.”
A thirty percent discount?
Hearing that they could save money, the Qin mother and daughter finally felt a bit better, the guilt of spending so much money lessening.
And so, under Xi Hongrui’s silver-tongued persuasion, they spent another tael of silver to get a “VIP card.” All future purchases at Linglong Pavilion would be discounted, and “points” could even be redeemed for prizes.
By the time everything was settled, it was almost dark. Mother Qin had taken a great liking to Xi Hongrui and invited her to come with them to collect the money.
Ever since they arrived in Daliang City, the mother and daughter had often been mocked and isolated because they didn’t understand anything.
Now, there was a fairy-like young lady who not only didn’t look down on them but also knew a great deal. Mother Qin immediately grabbed her hand, and once she started talking, she couldn’t stop. By the end, she was on the verge of wanting to adopt her as a goddaughter.
As they were chatting animatedly, the sound of urgent hoofbeats suddenly rang out. Xi Hongrui was instantly on alert. She stood up and stopped talking. “Has the master of the house returned? It seems it’s not convenient for me to be here.”
Mother Qin was right in the middle of an exciting conversation and spat upon hearing this, “It’s just Qin Daniu, what are you afraid of him for!”
“Qin Daniu?”
Xi Hongrui couldn’t help but laugh behind her fan, but she still curtsied respectfully. “Old Madam, I have been blessed with your favor today and have already disturbed you for too long. I dare not stay any longer. I only hope that you and your daughter will visit often. I will surely be waiting.”
“Ai…”
Mother Qin sighed, extremely reluctant to see her go, and stood up to walk her out. “Alright then. It’s getting late. I’ll have someone escort you back.”
Xi Hongrui immediately expressed her thanks.
Daliang City was a bustling metropolis, and property prices were astonishingly high. Even though Mother Qin’s son was the favored Commander of the Imperial Guards, he couldn’t afford a very large residence. Thus, just as Xi Hongrui stepped out, she ran right into the returning Commander Qin.
Qin Xingchao was thirty-six years old this year and extremely unlucky. He had outlived three successive wives, earning him a reputation as a wife-jinx. He had also repeatedly failed the civil service examinations.
In a fit of desperation, he decided to take the military examinations as a detour, but unexpectedly, while he passed the military exams, he couldn’t detour back. Because he was somewhat literate, he was promoted all the way to Commander of the Imperial Guards.
In the Great Qi, which valued civil officials over military ones, even a seventh-rank civil official was better than a fourth-rank military official.
But having come this far, how could Qin Xingchao possibly ask his superiors if he could be transferred to a civil post?
Fortunately, for some unknown reason, despite being a scholar, he was tall and powerfully built. With his brawny strength, he had a very imposing presence just by standing there, so much so that no one had ever questioned him.
Qin Xingchao dismounted, walked into the courtyard, and as soon as he entered the gate, he saw his mother and sister escorting a strange young lady out. Dressed in a flamboyant green blouse and red skirt, he couldn’t help but look over.
The woman, however, did not dare to look at him. She immediately lowered her eyes, raised her round fan to cover her face, and quickly moved away.
Although it was just for a moment, it was enough for Qin Xingchao to see the woman’s face clearly, and he couldn’t help but stop in his tracks.
When he turned his head, he found that the woman had already swayed gracefully out the gate. Led by a maid, she boarded a carriage and quickly disappeared from sight.
Qin Xingchao instantly turned back to his mother. “Mother, who was that young lady just now?”
…
Xi Hongrui thanked the Qin family for escorting her and boarded the carriage with a smile.
Once the curtain was closed, the round fan covered her face, revealing only a smug curve of her lips beneath it.
She had already recognized that “land duck.”
But no, she couldn’t be proactive. She wanted that big, clumsy duck to come find her on his own~
As for why she was so certain—
“Miss, do you still remember me?”
The next day, Xi Hongrui was lounging on a recliner by the counter. She lazily looked up at Qin Xingchao, who had arrived as expected, and wore a bewildered expression. “You are?”
Qin Xingchao was wearing the exact same clothes as that day. He cupped his hands in a salute to Xi Hongrui, trying to jog her memory. “A month ago, I fell into the water and was rescued by you, Miss.”
Xi Hongrui looked up and recalled for a moment, then had a sudden realization. “Oh! So it was you! Hehe, then what have you come to find me for?~”
“Um…”
Qin Xingchao fell silent for a moment.
Then, with a troubled expression, he forced himself to speak. “It’s nothing major. It’s just that after I left the Prince’s Residence, I discovered that a Jade pendant from my waist was missing. Dare I ask, did you happen to see it, Miss?”
Hehe~
Xi Hongrui clutched the Jade pendant in her purse.
Yes, I did~